A tornado touched down in the Heuck’s Retreat community Thursdayat approximately 9 a.m., downing trees, destroying or damagingseveral structures and injuring at least one person, said emergencyofficials who remained busy responding to calls.

Responders were concentrating efforts in the area aroundCallender Road and Beeson Drive. Emergency response officialsreported several homes destroyed and damaged, as well as trees andpower lines down in a three-quarter mile radius.

“Two mobile homes were completely destroyed, another was 90percent destroyed,” said Clifford Galey, director of Lincoln CountyCivil Defense. “We also had a local business shop completelydestroyed, and several homes in the area sustained minordamage.”

Galey said no one in the area sustained life-threateninginjuries. With the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, the Heuck’sRetreat Volunteer Fire Department and several other emergencyservices on the scene, Galey said Callender road would be reopenedby the end of the day.

Heuck’s Retreat Baptist Church member Erin Smith said Bill andBertile Beasley lost their home on Beeson Drive during thestorm.

“Bill was at home when it hit,” Smith said. “He was taken to thehospital to check him out.”

Smith said Bertile Beasley had left for the beauty shop and wasnot home at the time.

Smith said several homes were damaged in the area and asked thatthe community remember those affected in their prayers.

King’s Daughters Medical Center spokesperson JoAnna Sproles saidat 10:30 a.m. Thursday morning that Bill Beasley was beingevaluated and treated in the emergency room, but was stable.Additional information about his condition was unknown.

Meanwhile, emergency personnel were also responding to downedtrees and blocked roads in the Zetus area. A tree was reported tohave fallen on a house in the community.